Method oe making auxiliary shirt bosoms and the article formed thereby



I. CLEMENTS METHOD OF MAKING AUXILIARY SHIRT BOSOMS AND THE ARTICLE FORMED THEREBY Aug. 1924.

Filed Nov. 8 I

Patented Aug. 5, 1924 WELLINGTON I. CLEMENTS, OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA.

METHOD OF MAKING AUXILIARY SHIRT BOSOMS'AND THE ARTICLE FORMED THEREB'Y.

Application filed November 8, 1921. Serial No. 513,784.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, VELLINGTON I. CLEM- ENTS, a citizen the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Auxiliary Shirt Bosoms and the Article Formed Thereby, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in the shirt-making. art and more particularly to a method of utilizing damaged or worn shirts. The invention also includes the articles formed by the new method.

It is a well known fact that mens outer shirts are usually damaged or worn through first at the front adjacent to the neck band,

or where turn-back soft cuffs are used, the folded edge of the cuff wears through comparatively quick. When a shirt becomes worn in the foregoing manner, it must be patched or portions be replaced by new material. When the article is patched, it detracts from the appearance of the garment, and as it is often difiicult to obtain material of the same character as the goods of the shirt, the shirt must either be patched with goods of a different kind or must be discarded altogether. Where the shirt is made of expensive material such as silk, considerable loss is entailed, each time a shirt is discarded. It is the primary object of my invention to utilize the goods forming part of the worn or damaged shirt for the purose of making aprons or bibs adapted to lde worn over an ordinary shirt and preferably under a vest, although this latter is not necessary. 7

Another object of the invention is to furnish a method by which the apron made from the goods of a discarded shirt may be cut at certain portions when it becomes worn and then rebound or hemmed to provide an apron that is slightly shorter in length than the apronfirst formed. This operation of cutting 0E and rebinding and hemming portions of the apron, maybe continued as long as there is sufficient undamaged material remaining to cover that portion of the chest and neck which lies between or beneath the opening of an ordinary vest.

Another object of the invention is to furnish an apron having two face sides, so that the apron may be reversed when one side has become soiled. Further than this the opposite sides may be made of the materials of two differently patterned goods so that when the apron is reversed a different goods will be displayed from that exhibited by the first mentioned side.

The aprons in the present case are preferably formed of either the front or back or both front and back of a shirt,and in order to provide cuffs to be worn with the apron, I cut and form special cuffs from the sleeves of the discarded shirt, and these cuffs form the subject-matter of an application filed on even date herewith.

Another object of the invention is to form an apron which may be placed over the upper portion of the bosom of an ordinary shirt for the purpose of protecting the bosom of the shirt while traveling or occupying a position in a dusty atmosphere.

With the foregoing objects outlined, and with other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel method and features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an apron constructed in accordance with my method and occupying a position upon a human fig ure, shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the improved apron, with one corner turned over to show that the goods of the opposite side is of a different pat-tern from that of the front side of the apron.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 2.

Fig. 4 is a view of a small apron which is formed from the lower end portion of the large apron, after the upper portion of the large apron has been worn and cut away to reduce its'size.

In the drawing, 1 designates an apron preferably formed of the front and back of a discarded shirt of fine or expensive material. The front portion of the shirt which is utilized to form one side or face of the apron, is cut away at its upper end to remove the portions damaged adjacent to the neck band. This cut is shown at 2. Then the shirt is cut outwardly from the neck band toward the outer portions of the shoulders, as shown at 3, and then cuts are made down the sides of the shirt as shown at 4. The rear face or side of the apron is formed in a manner similar to the foregoing with the exception that it is cut from the back of the shirt. Then the edges of the opening at t-he front of the shirt are preferably stitched together to provide a plait 6 down thefront of the garment. This plait has the buttons 7 thereon arranged in spaced relatioh.

Afsimilar plait 8 with spaced buttons 9 thereon is provided on the rear side of the aproniand. finally a binding strip 5 is sewed on the edges of the front and rear of the apron. A button-hole tab 10 is sewed to the upper neck portion of the apron and a neck band or binding 11 is sewed to the neck portion of the garment and its extremities extendout beyond said neck portion to provide strings 12 by which the apron may be secured to a persons neck. Instead of extending the strings as shown at 12 they may beprovided with button-holes 13, and these button-holes will engage the rear collar button while the tab 10 will engage the front collar button.

-A s shown in Figure 2, the rear side 14 of the apron maybe made of goods of a different pattern from that of the front 15 of the apron.

As shown in Figure 1, the apron may be placed over the front or bosom of an ordinary shirt, and in such case the tab 10 will engagethe front collar button 16 while the strings 12, if employed, may be tied at the rear as shown at 17. Further than this, a button-hole 18. may be provided at the lower portion of the apron to engage. one of the lower buttons on the wearers shirt.

As shown in Figure 2, the apron after it has become worn at its upper portion, may bestill utilized for making a shorter apron, and. as a matter of fact if the lower portion of the goods remains undamaged the original apron may be out several times until only suflicient goods is left to form the small I apron 19 shown in Figure 4.

In accordance with my method, after the upper portion 20 of the original apron, be. comes Worn, a curved out such as shown at 21 may be made in the apron and then cuts 23 will be made to extend the cut 21 to the side edges of the apron. Then the upper portion of the apron may be rebound .or hemmed and a shorter apron will be formed. This method may be continued as shown by the dottedlines 24 and 25 until only enough material remains of the original apron as to form the small apron 19, and as shown by with a U-shaped recess,

, the dotted lines 26, this apron is cut from the lower portion of the original apron, its edges are bound or hemmed as shown at 27, buttons 28 are placed on the plaits 6 and 8 and a button-hole 29 is formed at the lower end of the apron. In this case the strings 30 may also be provided with button-holes 31 if desired. v i

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have devised an improved method for utilizing the undamaged portions of damaged or worn shirts, and that this, material may be utilized until only a small portion of the same remains. V

It will be understood thatthe apron in its original state may be worn withouta effect produced by the wearing of the improved apron, it will be necessary to provide cuffs of similar goods to be worn with the apron, and these cuffs form the subject-matter of the other application.

I believe from the foregoing disclosure, that persons familiar with the shirt making art, will appreciate the advantages of the present invention, and I am aware that various changes maybe made in the method described and illustrated, and inthe construction shown without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed inthe following claim.

It will be also understood that g V ent method can be carried out to include any discarded or worn material, such for instance, as ladies garments which aresuscep tible of such use, as well as new material, but of course the salient feature of my pres- "ent conception is to economize. to the minimum in the use of outer shirts which begin to show signs of wear.

my pres.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters-Patent is:

A textile fabric apron adapted tobe worn over a shirt bosom and provided at one end a soft narrow binding tape binding the edge of said recessand provided near its ends with button holes adapted to engage the rear collar buttonof a shirt, a tab connected 'to said apron at sub .stantiallythe central portionof said recess and having a button hole to engage the front collar button of shirt, said button holes and binding tape being constructed to lie near the lower edge of a neck band of a shirt, Without covering said neck band, the on said plaits to simulate the buttons on an central portion of said apron being provided ordinary shirt front. 10

with a button hole to engage one of the front buttons of an ordinary shirt, a plait extending longitudinally of the central portion of the apron on each side thereof and having the appearance of the plait on the ordinary soft shirt front, and spaced buttons sewed In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. WELLINGTON I (ELEMENTS. Witnesses:

CORA VAN SANT, ELIZABETH TOLLEY. 

